https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/011524.cfm
A NEW CAR, SWEET. A NEW HOUSE IS AWESOME.
HOW ABOUT A NEW APPROACH?
Anyone who buys a new car notices the “new car smell.” The only problem is that the smell only lasts a short time. Even the new feeling wears off after a while. Religion can get ho-hum as well.
Jesus sensed God’s people had lost the freshness of their relationship with God. For many people, rituals became old hat, something you just did.
Jesus came to breathe new life, His life, into everything we do to stay close to God and each other. For example, he told us no one sews a piece of un-shrunken cloth on an old cloth.
The new will tear away from the old, and the tear will get worse. Did you or anyone you know have a joint replacement? You must remove the old one to put in the new one.
Relationships need a shot in the arm from time to time, including marriages. What used to work doesn’t work anymore. So, what makes a “new cloth old?” Our human love has limitations like the car and the house. Things created wear out.
Let’s not give up if our relationship with someone is wearing out. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Do your family relationships need a boost? What can you do differently at meals to stimulate the conversation so you know each other that day?
Gospel Challenge:
How about the Lord? Try praying with your heart and not just your head when you come into the Lord’s presence. Tell Him what is bugging you or something for which you are grateful. Feel your prayer in your heart. A new approach can change everything. PS. Remember to pray before meals.
Love Your Neighbor:
Please join me in praying for all baptized Catholics to be faithful to Jesus in the Holy Mass every weekend. Hail Mary, full of grace…
Mother Mary, “I am yours now and forever. Through you and with you, I always want to belong completely to Jesus.” The Surrender Novena – InHeartland. https://inheartland.com/pages/the-surrender-novena
Peace be with you.
Fr. Rick Pilger, I.C.
